Dundurn Press - #insidedundurnhttps://www.dundurn.com/tags/insidedundurn
enInside Dundurn with Lorena https://www.dundurn.com/news/Inside-Dundurn-Lorena
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<div class="item even" property="content:encoded"><p>“Ask me anything, I’m an open book,” says our production assistant, Lorena Gonzalez Guillen, “Just make me sound smart.”</p><p>Well, that won’t be difficult. Lorena is one of the go-to people on our design and production team. You want to know what stage of design a book is in? Well, you should check the schedule, but Lorena is happy to help. She does, after all, do a little bit of everything on our design team.</p><p> “Essentially, I make sure every detail and correction gets updated during the production process. I review things like printer proofs, design the interior of the books, and sign-offs. But I love the designing.”</p><p>In a nutshell, the designing aspect is when Lorena takes the Word document that the editor sends her and imports it into her own programs to begin formatting the interior of the book.</p><p>“Even though I don’t necessarily need to be that creative, I enjoy the idea of taking the creation of the author and the work of the editor and putting it into this potential, beautiful book,” Lorena explains, “It’s the process of making everything flow and consistent, I love that.”</p><p>How much creativity goes into designing the interior of a book varies for Lorena. For non-fiction, the specifics of layout are decided ahead of time in editorial. On the other hand, there is often no specific direction when it comes to the interior of a fiction book. There’s just text and that can allow for some creative liberties.</p><p>“I recently finished designing two of the Saddle Creek books by Shelley Peterson, which is about horses. I thought it would be a nice addition to make a little dingbat ...” A dingbat is a design element that signals a diversion in text, “… of a horse in the chapters. That’s the kind of fun I get with fiction, makes it unique.”</p><p><img alt="" class="inline" src="/sites/default/files/images/inline/Sundancer.JPG" /></p><p>So how did a Communications major studying TV and Video production get into the world of books? Lorena actually started out in editorial.</p><p>“I was living in Mexico City when my aunt, who works in publishing, mentioned a job opening as an editorial assistant/production editor at an agency called Estudio Creativos,” Lorena fondly remembers, “At the time, I had no idea what book production required. I was brand new. But I really liked editing and it turns out they really liked me. I still like to think my aunt accidentally got me excited about the industry.”</p><p>It was there that she first experienced what it was like working alongside designers. Literally. They sat right next to her. In time she got to the point where she’d continue asking them what they were doing and how to work “that InDesign thing”.</p><p>“After a while, they started letting me play around. They would save and lock off all the layers so I couldn’t move anything, of course, but then I’d try to help with what corrections they gave me.”</p><p>Essentially, Lorena learned how to design with the child lock on. Kind of like when you go bowling with the bumpers on the sides?</p><p>“Yes! It was very much like that.”</p><p>Finally, the now traditional question of what she likes to read. While most recently Lorena read The Slip by Mark Sampson, she admits to always enjoying a thriller or mystery. But then again…</p><p>“That’s such a hard question! People always ask me what I like to read the most. I don’t know! It’s like asking me do who you prefer more, your mom or your dad? No! I just like reading.”</p><p>Noted. Lorena doesn’t play favourites with her books (or her parents). She loves all genres equally.</p><p>“I so enjoy reading someone else’s words, being in the world they’ve created. If I just read one genre, I’d feel confined. I don’t have a preference, I don’t have a type, I just like reading.”</p></div>
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Thu, 19 Oct 2017 15:45:34 +0000Kyle11402 at https://www.dundurn.comhttps://www.dundurn.com/news/Inside-Dundurn-Lorena#comments#InsideDundurn with Sheilahttps://www.dundurn.com/news/InsideDundurn-Sheila
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<div class="item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Are you ready for a history lesson in Canadian publishing? Today we’re talking to someone who’s been in the business for a very long time, Dundurn’s manager of contracts and administrative services, Kirk Howard’s executive assistant, and our colourful resident fashionista, Sheila Douglas.</p><p>“I’ve been working for 44 years,” Sheila says, “And exactly half of that I’ve spent in publishing.”</p><p>Sheila got into publishing in 1995, initially with no intention of joining the industry. Her department was cut during a merger between the company she worked for and another in the corporate industry. Looking for something new, she signed up with a job placement agency and was sent to Key Porter Books where she met well-known publisher and author, Anna Porter.</p><blockquote><p>“I remember what she said the first day we met. She was looking for an assistant and told me that… <em>‘I’m just looking for somebody that can put their hands on a piece of paper when I’m looking for it. We can never find anything around here. If you can find anything that I’m looking for… that would be nice.</em>’ So I started working for Anna.”</p></blockquote><p>It was at Key Porter that Sheila learned all about publishing, and how to think outside the business box.</p><p>“I really learned so much about the industry from Anna, during the time I worked with her,” Sheila confirms.</p><p>“Key Porter was sold to H.B. Fenn in 2004 and shortly before H.B. Fenn folded in 2010, I got a call from Kirk Howard. He needed someone at Dundurn,” Sheila remembers, “We had met before in passing, and Beth Bruder, our current VP, had previously worked at Key Porter while I was there<strong>. </strong>Canadian publishing is small and having worked with Anna Porter, I was known in the publishing industry. So I came in for an interview and I was hired that day. I was thrilled!”</p><p>As time has proven, Sheila, like Kirk, has a good eye for individuals who are ‘a good fit’ for Dundurn. Being in charge of administration, she’s had a hand in hiring a number of staff members over the years, but it’s a certain publicist who she hand-picked that sticks out.</p><p>“Oh yes, Jaclyn,” Sheila recalls with a smile, “Her interview with me for our marketing internship was so impressive that I suggested she should be considered for a full time position.”</p><p>That’s how our senior publicist, fresh out of publishing school, came to find her full-time job at Dundurn. And for anyone who knows publishing, that’s not common in recent years.</p><p>Sheila is one of the first people you’ll be introduced to in the publishing process. She organizes and negotiates all the contracts for Dundurn, and so deals directly with the authors, agents, and organizations who publish books with us.</p><p>“Some authors are really excited going into publishing their first book. Some are more… bewildered. They don’t know what’s going to happen. So what I try to do is help them understand not only the agreement they’re entering into but the process so it doesn’t seem so overwhelming.”</p><p>Sheila will explain things like the staff’s concept meeting where a book is introduced, the editorial process and what will happen to their manuscript once it’s in the editor’s hands, the marketing and publicity meet-n-greets, and what to expect once their book is ready to go out into the world.</p><p>“It’s always different, every single author is different. I’m amazed that I can still be asked a new question every time.”</p><p>Often times people in publishing, particularly those who read all day, don’t read as much outside of work. Sheila not one of those people. What kind of books hold her interest most?</p><blockquote><p>“I love mysteries!”</p></blockquote><p>Fun fact, one of our most popular blog posts is “Why Do People Love Mysteries?” Does Sheila have an answer?</p><p>“You want to try to solve the mystery before the end,” she says, obviously, “The best mysteries are the ones where you have no idea so you can’t wait to get to the end and find out who it was. And if the author keeps you guessing until the very end? Those are the best.”</p><p>“Dundurn does mysteries really well. I’m enjoying Brenda Chapman, R.M. Greenaway (she’s fabulous!), and I really enjoy Don Easton’s work – I think he’s going to be the next James Patterson.”</p><p>That’s one of Sheila’s passions. The other, as hinted earlier, is fashion. So often does Sheila look ready to sit front-row looking up at a runway, it prompts us to ask how she didn’t work somewhere in fashion.</p><p>Her answer is poignant and simple.</p><p>“Your path hopefully takes you where you find joy in your work. I love publishing. I love reading. It works for me.”</p></div>
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Wed, 19 Jul 2017 16:15:12 +0000Kyle11147 at https://www.dundurn.comhttps://www.dundurn.com/news/InsideDundurn-Sheila#comments#InsideDundurn with Laurahttps://www.dundurn.com/news/InsideDundurn-Laura
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<div class="item even" property="content:encoded"><p>You can’t judge a book by its cover. That’s how the old saying goes, and it’s true. But a good cover does help you pick up that book to judge it later. That’s part of the work of the book’s designer. We’re going into our design and production team for this Inside Dundurn. Meet Laura, our Senior Designer.</p><p>Laura is the person who is responsible for both the interior and exterior of a book. She began at Dundurn as the marketing designer, but then moved into the production, moving up to her role as senior designer.</p><p>“I design the covers and lay out the interiors. I’ve found that some people don’t really know that’s a thing; that books need to be designed,” she smiles and shrugs, “I supposed they imagine that books come out already formatted? Even my sister was like, ‘Why isn’t there a program that does that?’ Good question, but nope, that’s me.”</p><blockquote><p>That might fit the idea of what a designer does, creating the cover and designing the inside of the book, but surely there is more to it than that?</p></blockquote><p>“There’s a lot more but a lot less, too,” Laura says, contemplating, “For instance, I’m not necessarily creating the artwork that you’d see on the cover. My job involves shopping for the best image and finding ways to feature it and incorporate the typography. Sometimes the image falls in my lap, and sometimes I spend hours or even days on photo research.”</p><p>Then there is the interior of the book. The designer makes a multitude of visual decisions like where images are placed, how the running heads will look, how chapters will begin, etc. As far as book’s interior goes, it’s extensive, but surprisingly subtle work. Pictured below is the interior for The Beaver Hall Group and Its Legacy.</p><p><img alt="" class="inline" src="/sites/default/files/images/inline/Beaver%20Hall.JPG" /></p><p>Laura acknowledges the requirement for subtlety. “You’re not supposed to notice the design inside of a book. If a designer is doing their job properly, you won’t notice the interior design because it shouldn’t call attention to itself.”</p><p>Now this all sounds very glamourous indeed, but let’s get to the fun part. What makes a book “fun” to work on?</p><blockquote><p>“I think ‘fun’ is when something comes together and I have this sense that I know exactly what I’m doing. I know what it’s going to look like without question,” Laura says definitively, “I feel almost like I’m possessed. Yeah, it’s fun to be possessed when it’s by the… design demon.”</p></blockquote><p>Not muse. Design demon. Our senior designer does have quite a way with metaphors. But also with covers that stand out of the crowd. Two of Laura’s covers, <a href="https://www.dundurn.com/books/All-Inclusive">All Inclusive</a> and <a href="https://www.dundurn.com/books/Cover-Striking">Cover Before Striking</a>, were selected as CBC Book’s Best Canlit Covers of 2015. Another, <a href="https://www.dundurn.com/books/Finding-Hope">Finding Hope</a>, placed third in a monthly cover vote on NetGalley. </p><p> <img alt="" class="inline" src="/sites/default/files/images/inline/9781459732025_0.jpg" /></p><p>“As for books I had fun with, I think one would be <a href="http://www.dundurn.com/books/under_dusty_moon">Under The Dusty Moon</a>,” Laura answers, suddenly lightening up, “That was a lot of fun to work on. I loved playing with the moon cycles, the colours, and the fonts. Yeah, I enjoy working on Young Adult books.” </p><p>Speaking of fonts, they happen to be a very powerful tool in a designer’s arsenal. Often, font style is guided by what comparable books are doing in a specific genre, but there is a subconscious influence to them.</p><p>“There’s a reason why certain fonts are trendy,” Laura explains, “Without even realizing it, people can tell what sort of book it will be from the font. The Slip is one example. I initially had another idea for The Slip. I actually really loved this version [left]. It’s like a conversation. But we eventually went with the other one. It just worked.”</p><p>That’s how it is sometimes in the book industry, something just works. </p><p><img alt="" class="image-inline_inset_left inline" src="/sites/default/files/styles/inline_inset_left/public/images/inline/TheSlip2.jpg?itok=8n3ERxFX" /> <img alt="" class="image-inline_inset inline" src="/sites/default/files/styles/inline_inset/public/images/inline/9781459735750.jpg?itok=nOXnnboO" /></p></div>
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Tue, 18 Apr 2017 10:35:42 +0000Kyle10948 at https://www.dundurn.comhttps://www.dundurn.com/news/InsideDundurn-Laura#comments#InsideDundurn with Jennyhttps://www.dundurn.com/news/InsideDundurn-Jenny
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<div class="item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Anyone who has submitted a manuscript to a publisher likely has wondered where it's landed, and what will happen to it now. While we can't make promises for what happens after, we can answer one of those questions in two words.</p>
<p>Meet Jenny.</p>
<p>She's the Editorial Assistant; the go-to person for all Westside questions. (Editorial is on the west side of the office, but she's also our resident musical theatre aficionado, so...)</p>
<p></p><center>
<iframe src="//giphy.com/embed/UBceOFsUNtuIU" width="480" height="210" frameborder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><p><a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/old-hollywood-rita-moreno-westside-story-UBceOFsUNtuIU">via GIPHY</a></p></center>
<p>"What I do is help the editorial department," Jenny says simply, taking a breath and saying "... with a lot of different things from scheduling and corrections all the way to getting our books to design."</p>
<p>How many books do you think that translates into? Half of our books? More?</p>
<p>"I have read probably, at least... a little bit of 90% of our books published in a year. Before the books go to printer I have to do something called a fresh eyes check. That's when someone who's never seen the book looks at it, scans the pages to make sure everything makes sense. Often those are the people who can find errors, words that are missing, and weird design stuff. A lot of times I'll get an idea of what the book is about by then. Sometimes if it's really good, I'll read it a little bit too."</p>
<p>And....? We're waiting for the best part.</p>
<p>"And I track our submissions. I even have the entire slush pile on my desk."</p>
<p>The slush pile, for those not in with the cool lingo, is made up of all the unsolicited manuscripts that get mailed or e-mailed in to a publisher for consideration.</p>
<p>Wait, did we hear that right? People still send things via snail mail?</p>
<p>"Some manuscripts still get sent via mail. It's not dead," she affirms, "We get a lot in terms of range: lots of history, fiction, kid's books, middle-grade, and YA."</p>
<blockquote><h4>"Cliche as it may sound, you never know what may make a good book."</h4>
</blockquote>
<p>And Jenny would know, too. As a former English Lit major, she's a big fan of Canlit and literary fiction and been around the block during her time doing internships. Starting off at Fitzhenry &amp; Whiteside, then OwlKids Books, and Oxford University Press before her internship at Dundurn.</p>
<p>Let's see, that covers two of the three common types of publishing. Just for fun, we asked Jenny for a quick lesson in the types of publishing.</p>
<p>"Let's see. The first is trade publishing. That's for the market that the average reader would think of regarding books. What they'd find when they go to their local bookstore, and that's where they would find books for the trade market. It's your fiction, your historical books, books for kids and teens."</p>
<p>But aren't educational books also those things?</p>
<p>"They can be yes, but educational publishing caters to educators. Those are books for anywhere from kindergarten to grade 12. As well as post-secondary textbooks. Sometimes a little bit of academic textbooks."</p>
<p>"And scholarly publishing is done by university presses. They publish professors. Mostly. That's also for the university market and for other academics. That's how professors publish and get tenure. It's part of their job."</p>
<p><em>Cue long awkward silence.</em></p>
<p>"Law publishing is for lawyers," Jenny states obviously, both of us bursting into laugher a few seconds later. "We don't talk about that side. Lawyers probably do but we don't."</p>
<p>Moving on, and as we like to end things, what does Jenny like to read?</p>
<p>"I read a lot of YA, fantasy, and literary fiction," she says, "I'm reading an older book right now called House of Leaves. I probably looked really foolish recently. I had to put it upside down for about 15 minutes while on the Go Train because the words were upside down; but I probably just looked like an incompetent reader. I don't normally do that!”</p>
<p>Don't worry Jenny, we don't judge. We're all booklovers here.</p>
<p></p><center>
<iframe src="//giphy.com/embed/JEhCPFfqi2Hy8" width="480" height="270" frameborder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><p><a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/disney-books-beauty-and-the-beast-belle-JEhCPFfqi2Hy8">via GIPHY</a></p>
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Wed, 30 Nov 2016 16:52:24 +0000Kyle10558 at https://www.dundurn.comhttps://www.dundurn.com/news/InsideDundurn-Jenny#comments#InsideDundurn with Shannonhttps://www.dundurn.com/news/InsideDundurn-Shannon
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<div class="item even" property="content:encoded"><p>If anyone is the authority on how to get published, it’s likely an acquisitions editor. So in that case, meet Shannon. Possibly one of the more glamorous jobs in publishing, Shannon’s job is to find and acquire books however she can. But unlike most people looking for a new book, she isn’t checking the local bookstore.</p><p>“Books can come from all kinds of places, really,” Shannon says matter-of-factly, “Literary agents, the slush pile, from any number of contacts. Sometimes authors that we’ve already published will refer others who are looking for a house.”</p><p>Yes, books can be found in a great many places and you never know what might come of it. In one case Shannon met one author a mutual friend’s book launch before she started acquiring for Dundurn.</p><p>“She started telling me about this book and I thought it was great but I didn’t think I would have a chance at it, but it eventually found its way to me,” she says looking back on it.</p><blockquote><h4>"Everyone thinks that they have a book."</h4></blockquote><p>Things like that happen in publishing, especially when you’ve been in the game for nearly 15 years. Less surprising are things like the response people have when your job comes up in conversation.</p><p>“I know some people who won’t disclose that they are an editor in social situations because it’s always ‘Oh, my uncle’s cousin’s friend has this wonderful manuscript.’ Everyone thinks that they have a book.”</p><p>But here is the million-dollar question. How do know when you’ve found a book? How do you know when to be nurturing and when to be ruthless?</p><p>“Sometimes, you want to give something a chance, maybe it takes a little time to grow on you,” Shannon admits.</p><p>“I try thinking of it from the perspective of a reader at a bookstore who picks something up and starts reading the first few pages. If it’s not really grabbing me …” She trails off, leaving the implication before confirming, “You have to trust your instincts. You learn to trust your gut after a while and that’s often when you know you have a winner.”</p><blockquote><h4>"They always caution you about doing what you love for a living."</h4></blockquote><p>Normally, I’d ask Shannon what she’s reading, but the irony of being an editor is that more often than not, there simply isn’t any time to read for fun. That said, as a fan of literary fiction, Shannon likes to read a lot of award-nominated books, which is also beneficial to her work.</p><p>“I get a few books in a year,” she says with a laugh, “Even then I feel bad because I should be reading manuscripts. I could probably pile up to my hip the number of books I should be reading at any given point. They always caution you about doing what you love for a living.”</p><p>Cautionary tale or not, something tells me life as an acquisitions editor is suiting Shannon (and certainly, Dundurn) quite nicely.</p></div>
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<div class="item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/editor" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">editor</a></div>
<div class="item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/insidedundurn" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">#insidedundurn</a></div>
<div class="item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/InsideDundurn-0" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">InsideDundurn</a></div>
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Wed, 24 Aug 2016 19:00:50 +0000Kyle10240 at https://www.dundurn.comhttps://www.dundurn.com/news/InsideDundurn-Shannon#comments#InsideDundurn with Kathrynhttps://www.dundurn.com/news/InsideDundurn-Kathryn
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<div class="item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Have a question about a book? Want to know where in the process it is? Ask Kathryn. As Dundurn’s Managing Editor, she is the one who oversees a book’s life from start-of-edit, over to design, and through production. </p><p>“I work with the editors to ensure that everything goes smoothly through the production process,” Kathryn explains, “I also work a lot with design. I’m the go-between for the two departments, design and editorial.</p><p>Sound simple? There’s more to it.</p><blockquote><p>There are numerous editors that have a hand in creating a book. The acquisitions editor is out in the field, finding authors, and making deals with agents. They are the ones that bring the book in.</p><p>Developmental editors work on the manuscript with the author. They are the ones working on the book’s writing, plot, and structure.</p><p>Then it’s brought to the copy editor. By the time a manuscript gets to them, the bigger issues should have been ironed out, but a copy editor is looking at the finer details and also brings a fresh eye to the project. After all, “It’s always good to have another set of eyes.”</p></blockquote><p>Kathryn’s reach also extends outside the office, as she’s the one who works with our freelancers.</p><p>“It’s nice to work with freelancers. They are an essential part of the publishing industry,” Kathryn says before adding, “And there are a lot them out there!”</p><p>Speaking of the industry, I thought Kathryn perfect to answer a question that everyone in publishing gets asked at some point.</p><p>“Do you read all your books?”</p><p>“No, that would be impossible,” Kathryn answers with a chuckle, “I sign off on the proofs, so I often feel like I’ve read all the books when I have not. You have to watch out for that.”</p><p>What about reading for pleasure? In the same way a chef may come home and not want to cook more, I wonder if editors are the same.</p><p>Kathryn pauses, and considers the idea. “Most editors read less, I think, because they read all day but a requirement of being an editor is being aware of what’s out there.”</p><p>So what does Kathryn like to read?</p><p>“Well, when I get a chance to read, I like heavy fiction, very literary. I always try to find the time for authors like Russel Banks and William Faulkner.”</p><p>Shouldn’t we all?</p></div>
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<div class="item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/insidedundurn" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">#insidedundurn</a></div>
<div class="item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/staff" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Staff</a></div>
<div class="item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/editorial" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">editorial</a></div>
<div class="item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/editor" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">editor</a></div>
<div class="item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/managing" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">managing</a></div>
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Mon, 25 Apr 2016 19:17:03 +0000Kyle9876 at https://www.dundurn.comhttps://www.dundurn.com/news/InsideDundurn-Kathryn#comments